


beyond flesh: coup d'etat

by 127ghouls



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Blood and Gore, Cannibalism, Hallucinations, M/M, Minor Character Death, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 18:24:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16497881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/127ghouls/pseuds/127ghouls
Summary: After the bloodshed at Kanou's laboratory resulting in the doctor and his sycophant, Moon Taeil's fall, the Goat face the inescapable problem of food scarcity. With the CCG's rejection of their aim for unity, they venture into an expedition - encountering ghouls and reliving the past that Lee Taeyong had long buried under.





	beyond flesh: coup d'etat

**Author's Note:**

> ! SEQUEL !
> 
> Uh, it has been two weeks? - I can't count - since beyond flesh was posted. This will have to be read after the first part and again, Tokyo Ghoul terms that non-fans will encounter will be hard to understand without a little bit of Googling so when you come across these terms, a quick search is a big help! 
> 
> Some scenes in this fic will correlate to the manga/anime, some will not - like what I've said in the first part, they were tweaked for reasons. Minor changes - it's still heavily based on the manga/anime. 
> 
> Plot holes may occur? I did not follow any outline and did not review the first part because I'm lazy, LMAO. Beware of misspellings too, and the likes.
> 
> Enjoy reading, I guess!

[first part: beyond flesh ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16354961)

 

Conferences used to be held within the well-lit premises of the CCG’s main office, something Jaehyun’s accustomed to, being an investigator for a period of time. Right now, he’s in a meeting yet again but the room where it’s commenced is a far cry; the space can only accommodate less than 10 people, the walls are torn down and what used to be a row of bright fluorescent lights above their heads is now a single, yellow light bulb.

Taeyong points down on a red dot on the map, following a long broken line leading to another red dot. “This is how long the journey might go if we fail to gather enough provision; there will be inspections, so we must be agile to avoid engaging in unnecessary combats with the _doves._ ”

“What if the need for self-defense is unavoidable?”

“Then we fight,” The one-eyed ghoul rolls up the map and puts it back in a tube, before facing the others. “We can’t let them kill us instead, can we?”

The churning heat inside Jaehyun’s chest tames for a chance to speak calmly. “When are we heading off, and who are we bringing with us?”

“Anyone capable to walk their feet without a stop, anyone brave to endure the heat of the day and cold of the night. Some ghouls will stay to take care of the place, so don’t worry about the humans. Since we got intel, it’ll take days before another possible onslaught occurs and we’ll be back by then. We’re leaving on the first sunrise.”

It’s momentarily quiet when Taeyong leaves the room followed by the other members of the _Goat_ , until Jeno speaks, voicing out a concern that only resurrects the heaviness in Jaehyun’s chest. “What are we gonna do if we can’t come back in time, or we get slaughtered on the way?”

“Do you think the king would let it happen?” Jaemin counters, rounding the table to stand close to Jaehyun, hard eyes never leaving Jeno’s. “You’re always the pessimistic one, Jeno. Loosen up, will ya?”

The other scoffs and snatches his _quinque_ off the wall, storming out. Jaemin’s face is sullen, a look of regret marring the once gentle features.

“Let him be, not everyone lacks the sense of fear like Taeyong does.”

This causes the younger to perk up, eyes gleaming with malicious amusement. Jaehyun wants to take it all back. “You’ve been hanging out with him. Aren’t you two getting a little too close for comfort? Or is it that being close with him is comfort itself?”

The plan to deny all sorts of accusation coming from the boy fails to set about when even under the dull color of the light bulb, the transitioning of his pale cheeks into a shade of red gives everything away. Jaehyun fights the urge to huff. Jaemin is going to have a field day.

“They’re really charming, huh. I wonder why the charm doesn’t work on me. There are so many ghouls underground, but –“

“But you’ve only got eyes for Jeno,” Jaehyun smirks, feeling triumph lay in his hands when it’s Jaemin’s turn to resemble a tomato. “Don’t deny it, you brat. I knew it all along.”

“Don’t tell him! He’s going to hate me...”

Jaehyun shakes his head, glad that he managed to turn the tables. “You’re both dumb. Come on, we need to guard the tunnels.”

 

 

 

The scarcity of food supply only worsens even after the CCG learns of Moon Taeil’s betrayal. It seems that the threat to all ghouls strengthened despite countless attempts to relay the _Goat_ ’s mission for the cohabitation of humankind and ghoulkind aboveground. There’s even a grapevine going around talking about ‘little coffins’. They fail to grasp the context of it as it has been passed from one to another, but if it’s to have them interred underground, Taeyong has since warned.

It’s a little too fishy that they’re yet to attack, knowing that the _Goat_ can only stay within the 24th ward and nowhere else. There _is_ something going on.

Jaehyun flatly ignores Jaemin’s knowing glance as he reaches Taeyong. “Are we including human food on the search?” His voice is timid and careful as though afraid to mention anything wrong. Filling the stomach with sufficient meal isn’t as difficult as it is with ghouls on the humans’ end. It’s easy to put on a disguise and walk past investigators without a wary glance and attain food. They can’t continue asking for leftovers, though. It just won’t be enough.

Taeyong pulls his shirt over his head, hair an unruly mess. Jaehyun had to look away, catching Jaemin’s grin. “We can’t continue making them drink coffee, S3 boy. You’re going to run out of it instead,” He heads over to the showers, Jaehyun tailing. “Which you should stop, you know. Coffee can’t satisfy your hunger. You’ll be immune to it soon enough.”

“When are you going to call me by my name? I’m not a _dove_ anymore –“

“You were once before.”

Jaehyun halts as Taeyong gets under the shower head. Warm water runs down a naked, muscled back tracing numerous scars that only made the one-eyed king seem more enticing. This time, Jaehyun doesn’t look away. “That’s not the point!”

Steam comes off and reaches him, inviting. He recalls that he hasn’t washed up yet for the night. “You’re killing yourself, S3 boy. Your _kagune_ uses up a ton of RC cells when it’s activated. You need enough RC cells to regulate your strength. If you get wounded, it’ll be harder to regenerate.”

The thought of dying doesn’t scare him, surprisingly. Death is natural, the start’s end, and the alpha’s omega. Even the strongest ghouls perish.

“I’m still not willing to consume flesh.”

“Then force yourself to have the will. It’s inevitable; it’s the ghoulkind’s nature.” Taeyong, with his torso now covered in suds turns around and takes in the sight of Jaehyun’s flushed cheeks. He doesn’t point it out; he never does. “I don’t want you to die.”

Jaehyun looks up, eyes rounder than usual. “It’s inevitable,” His tone is mocking, reminding the king of his own words. Taeyong’s eyes are unreadable since forever; he’s a book full of chapters to read yet at the same time he’s as blank as a paper, anticlimactic. He stares at Jaehyun without a word for what felt like a lifetime before facing the wall again, washing off the soap.

“As if I’d let you.” 

His train of thoughts hasn’t even started as Jeno comes running up to him, holding a tablet. “Youngho said something about the firearms. It’s going to be delivered to us in two hours – someone has to watch the entrance, probably one of the former S3, someone he knows.”

“I’ll do it,” Jaehyun takes the tablet and scans the message. The sound of the water stops and Taeyong steps out to dry his body with a towel. “I can’t let any of you meet with a CCG researcher.”

Jeno throws Taeyong a quick smile and frowns again. “Youngho’s risking his life to send us information. If anything, we’re sending him into the lion’s den. You haven’t apologized for using his ID, you know.”

Taeyong’s already wearing a change of clothes when Jaehyun’s peripheral vision spots him. “The lion’s den – you mean the CCG?”

“He mentioned something about the organization strengthening the crackdown of ghoul advocates, upgrading the capital punishment to death sentence.”

“We aren’t sure about that – if he’s not being controlled by the higher-ups. That’s why we need someone skeptic, Jeno. At this point, we can’t let our emotions affect our actions. Youngho was an acquaintance, and we’re members of the _Goat_ now. It’s bound to impose a difference.”

Jeno shifts his gaze between Jaehyun and Taeyong before his shoulders sag as his resolve melts in a puddle of acquiescence. “Well, Youngho was nice…”

“I know,” Jaehyun returns the tablet and acknowledges the other ghoul. “I’ll head to the entrance now to wait for the package.”

“Be careful.”

 

 

 

“First class Jung,”

Jaehyun spins around and welcomes the source of the deep, deliberate voice. Youngho keeps himself hidden in the dark, safe from exposure and unwanted attention. “I managed to purloin three – don’t ask about security. If they’re not after my ass at the moment, that means I’m seeing another day.” He hands a duffle bag to Jaehyun. “I filled it with enough bullets. Don’t waste ‘em; each one counts.”

The ghoul responds with a firm nod. “Please do your best to stay off the grid, Youngho. Thank you so much,”

Through the dim corner, Jaehyun makes out a smirk on the researcher’s face. “That’s not what I’m expecting to hear, actually. A little birdie told me that someone snuck into the re—“

“I’m sorry about using your ID. I had to do it,” Jaehyun sighs. “You know it helped a lot.” He takes a look at the entrance, brows furrowed. “We’re going somewhere tomorrow morning, at the earliest time. We’re running out of food and Taeyong worries most for the humans with us. It’s going to be in the middle of woodland so the reception will be bad. Do you know more about the CCG’s plans?”

“They’re utterly quiet. Usually, the whole office would be buzzing with investigators running from one post to another with tasks but no one’s frantic. Though that’s not a serious issue when I can access the network,” Youngho leans in, a breath away. “The CCG is not what they are; they’ve completely forgotten the main purpose of their existence. It seems like they’re _remodeling_ children for their advantage.”

“Remodeling?”

“These children are orphans whose parents were butchered by ghouls. Apparently, they’re using Rize’s remains to make artificial ghouls to assemble a new squad.” Youngho steps back, leaving a fair distance between him and the ghoul.

Jaehyun is aghast. The CCG has succumbed to a lower degree pining over the hope to destroy their kind. “Do we need to be vigilant?”

“You need to watch your back every second of the day,” The researcher nods and turns around, starting the way out of the 24th ward, but not without revealing something to leave the _Goats_ in distress.

“They’re modeling the _Oggais_ according to the original prototype – Lee Taeyong.”

 

 

 

The bag contains three rifles. Jaehyun fills them with bullets, handing the extras. “These are RC automatic shell bullets. Youngho said it’s recently developed.”

Yuta recounts the bullets and sets it back, practicing his aim towards a wall. “This is cool. That Youngho guy’s a saint.”

“He also said something about the CCG crafting artificial ghouls.” This catches Taeyong’s attention and he stops counting down from 1000. It’s a frequent occurrence, happening whenever the one-eyed king’s zoning out. Big, soul-eating eyes stare at Jaehyun, waiting.

“They call the ghouls _Oggais._ They’re orphaned children. It sounds like the sole purpose is for vengeance since these kids’ parents were killed by ghouls. It’s sickening how the CCG turned out to be another Kanou just to suppress us.”

The information left all of them speechless. Hendery raises a close fist and then all eyes are on him. Seeing him talk is once in a blue moon. “They’re just another bunch of ghouls that we’ll eventually have to terminate. That squad is not exactly being groundbreaking right now…”

“That’s what I thought,” Jaehyun meets Taeyong’s eyes. “They’re being modeled according to the first recipient of Rize’s organs.”

Taeyong stiffens. He didn’t know that the CCG had their hands on Rize’s cadaver. Jaehyun senses the heavy tension but it’s unavoidable; everyone has to know. “That only means these artificial ghouls are just as strong as you, if not stronger. I don’t know how many they are, but if the CCG’s taking a long time to get back at us then it’s pretty much a battalion.”

Yuta excuses himself, probably taken off-guard. The others follow and Jeno sends Jaehyun a look before retreating to their room. When it’s only the two of them remaining, courage strikes Jaehyun – it’s never easy to break awful news. They’ll set off on a wide scavenging tomorrow – it’s suicide by now. They will be out in the open.

“Are you okay?” It’s a stupid question but he doesn’t know what to say. He just really wants to make sure the other’s not about to lose his resolve.

Taeyong nods and walks out of the meeting room without a word. Jaehyun wants to be pissed; he deserves an answer even if the question was dumb.

_What an insensitive prick._

 

 

 

The only ways out of the labyrinth in the 24th ward are the few tunnels made in case of emergency. The provision squad takes one of them, which will lead them to a muddy path surrounded with a lot of trees. It’s still a part of the 24th ward; a greenery which touches the border between the 24th and neighboring wards. Its appearance a gentle ploy, hiding the horrendous core of a suicide forest.

The sun’s heat is yet to be scalding hot, courtesy of the shade and cool breeze offered by the trees. Taeyong leads the journey. Their boots leave prints on the mud, creating a squelch throughout the trek.

“I’m going to make a bargain; Every time we take a five-minute break, I’ll make sure I gather double the food for humans. Fruits will do, right? Do they eat snakes?”

“It’s considered an exotic food – but let’s not settle for less. Fruits will be better,” Jaehyun pats Lucas’ back. “But about the break, it’s not my decision to make.”

Lucas glances at the leader of the expedition and sighs, mumbling under his breath. “Ghouls feel tired, too.”

“Not when you’ve just eaten your last share of meat the previous night. It’s enough to keep you powered up for at least a week.” Taeyong’s tone holds no bite in it but he doesn’t look at any of them. His strides are long, pace steady. They were strictly told that they can’t spend a long time in one area but they have to keep an eye for a miracle.

Lucas doesn’t say more.

The squad fills some bags with fruits they found on their way but the meat is yet to make its presence known.

“How was it with the S2?”

It’s easy to find himself alone with the other ghoul. Every time the need arises, Jaehyun sees himself next to Taeyong while the others are out of earshot. Jaemin always has his eyes on them, though. He should really work on his issue with Jeno instead.

“I need a clearer approach,” Taeyong picks a fruit and sniffs it, retching in the process. Jaehyun can only imagine what it feels like – remembering gist of how it was when the ghoul in him was suppressed.

“You were in _Cochlea_ for something close to a month. Were the S2 guys too rough? Or too gentle for your liking?” Taeyong initially ignores the inquisitive ghoul to pick more fruits, leaving Jaehyun to do his duty. He doesn’t recall much about the S2. There was nothing to think of.

They hear some rustling in short bursts, distant but loud enough to call their attention. Lucas shoots them a look before walking to the younger boys with them, whispering. Jeno and Jaemin are alert, and Yuta grips the gun.

“I can’t tell you much about them when there’s nothing to say.”

“What do you mean?”

Another rustle reaches Taeyong and he blocks Jaehyun with an arm, warning. “How can I tell them the truth they already know?”

Jaehyun’s eyes widen, mouth opening to say something but Taeyong beats him to it. “They never visited. I told you; Taeil is not alone.”

“Doyoung is the S2 –“

“He knows.”

Whatever that attempted to slip out of Jaehyun’s mouth is ceased when the rustles grow louder, and Jaehyun’s a tad too late when something, or _someone_ cannons against Taeyong sending the king down the ground, a crate beneath his form and a ghoul pins his weight down.

Lucas launches his _kagune,_ ready to attack when Taeyong signals him to stop. Everyone does. Jaehyun is perplexed; how is Taeyong so calm when the ghoul atop him drools over his own kind’s flesh?

Taeyong doesn’t look away from the ghoul’s bloodshot eyes, seemingly unbothered by the pooling saliva on his chest. “ _Aogiri?_ ”

Jaehyun’s thumb presses lightly on the button of his briefcase. They don’t know the extremity of the ghoul’s strength, but it’s a previous member of the terrorists.

“This is my feeding ground!” The unknown ghoul growls, face a few inches before Taeyong’s. He’s reminded of Ten when they first met, during the time his stomach had started to alter its needs.

“We’re looking for bodies yet to decompose; we’re not stealing your grounds.” The slick on his clothes starts to seep past the fabric and touch his skin. Taeyong sits up, tossing the ghoul a few feet away from the group. The other screeches across the ground, leaving a trail. “We’re on our way out.”

The ghoul’s mouth trembles at the corners with more spit dripping down its chin, eyes shaky. It’s starving. “You can’t get your way out.”

“What?” Jaehyun asks.

The ghoul turns it head at him, mouth curling into a sinister grin. “You can’t get your way out, not so soon. The _little coffins_ are finally opened – they’re out to get you.”

Taeyong forwards, the sclera of his eye turning black. “Spill,”

“The haughty children. They released the haughty children.” It whips its head away from them and prowls, spotting its target.

Jaemin activates the _Chi She_. “Nuh-uh, not a piece of him.” Jeno raises a brow and nudges the other’s shoulder.

“I can defend myself,”

“What do you know about the _Oggais?”_ Deliberate, feather light steps are crossed to reach the wild ghoul. Taeyong’s face is stoic. It’s hard watching by the sidelines, insensible of future circumstance. They trust Taeyong – he’s the ghoulkind’s salvation, at any rate.

“They’re out to kill you, One Eyed King. They can smell you…”

“So you know who I am, who we are.” Taeyong extends an arm, gesturing to the rest of the _Goat._ “You know that –“

“You’re going to die, Lee Taeyong.” The ghoul sneers, its long tongue resembling that of a cat’s but with sharper spikes slithers past bloodied lips. “In the hands of little, demonic spawns of _you,_ your fall is in the hands of those you have wronged, _”_

Taeyong bares no action for the next few seconds. The breeze of the wind brushes past them, raising bumps on their skin and the sway of trees forewarns them of an imminent ruination.

“What’s your name?”

The nameless ghoul salivates as Taeyong advances yet again, inhaling the sweet, opulent scent of the half ghoul. “Jaejoong,”

Taeyong smiles. “Well then, Jaejoong. Thank you for the information. Now - would you want to be of greater help to our mission instead? Good!” Taeyong unleashes his _kagune,_ the razor-sharp limbs splitting across the air and mercilessly perforating through the ghoul’s torso, curling around its insides before squeezing the organs and tearing the body apart, the chunks of flesh springing into different directions.

In a blink of an eye, the ghoul is a hundred fragments of what it used to be.

Lucas’ mouth moves like a broken motor, fishing for the right words. “Well, that was a humdrum. You could’ve let Yuta use the gun,”

Jaemin quickly turns around and stares at Jeno with palpable fret, releasing the _quinque_ in order to grip the latter’s arms, assuring himself of the other boy’s physical presence. “You’re okay?”

“Nothing happened to me, Jaemin,” Jeno pries out of the hold and avoids the worried eyes, picking up the _quinque_ and transforming it before handing it back to Jaemin. “You’re overreacting.”

Convinced that there wouldn’t be any more unexpected company, Jaehyun lets them know that the scattered flesh can be their meal, and announces the continuation of the trek.

“I’m not smarter than you, so you have to decode the news for me.”

“Ah, basically,” Taeyong starts, wiping the droplets of blood splattered on his face before licking his fingers clean. Jaehyun scoffs – a disguise to block the heat from spreading down his neck. “The children that the CCG or by Moon Taeil’s successor - betting on Kim Doyoung, remodeled are made strictly just for me,” He grins, smacking his lips for emphasis when the flavor of blood sticks to his taste buds. “How thoughtful.”

Taeyong’s nonchalance is utterly vexatious, uncaring for Jaehyun’s own anxiety. “They’re manufacturing ghouls to kill you – and those are not just simple ghouls, Taeyong. They’re exactly just like you. Imagine the –“

“The what ㅡ the power? The threat?” Taeyong scowls at him, brooding. It seems like it’s the only reaction he pulls out of the other. “Quit underestimating me.”

“I don’t want you to die,”

Jaehyun receives a chuckle. “I’ve died a thousand times, only to resurrect with an overwhelming efficacy to pummel every single foe to dust, S3 boy. You should know better.”

“But Tae—“

A finger, still laced with blood presses against his lips, silencing him. Taeyong glances at him, smirking. 

“I know what you want to say.” The pad of his finger dips into the softness of Jaehyun’s bottom lip, tugging it down before letting it go. Taeyong then sucks the same finger in his mouth, tongue swirling around the tip, unmindful of Jaehyun’s scandalized look. “I know it all.”

 

 

 

The chilling night forces them to halt the expedition as the lack of light steadily blocks their sight, hindering them from watching out for enemies lurking in the corners. Taeyong adamantly tries to convince them that they’re running out of time – of which only Yuta managed to counter him. The other ghouls back in the 24th ward have enough meat for one last meal before everything’s emptied, and the humans have free use of the stash of coffee. The expedition would last for two days, and they’ll be back soon enough to feed their hungry members.

They rest against sturdy trunks, _quinques_ and guns resting in their arms. Taeyong stays wide awake despite exhaustion and stress morphing into what he looks like at the moment, restless and brooding, dark and phantom. The weight of his responsibility in the _Goat_ starts barreling down on him, and doubt sprouts from the thoughts lingering in his head. If there’s one thing he wants to trash, pushed back in the past with no plans of picking up, it would be to dismount his brain from his body – moreover, it’s the cause of his madness in the first place. It’s where _she_ lives continuously. She’s his core, the machine that powers him into endless pandemonium.

He recalls the encounter in the morning. If the CCG’s mass-producing his prototypes, then the long awaited end is nearing. It’s ironic how the humans have succumbed into their own fears.

Heat radiates off of the body next to him. Jaehyun’s eyes adjust through the darkness, trying to read whatever’s apparent on Taeyong’s face. The _Goat’s_ leader still does not give away much.

“Are you not tired?”

Taeyong shakes his head, slowly. Jaehyun is much too concerned about him and it’s fatal. No one shall commit the mistake of thinking about him, concerning them of his wellbeing. Taeyong will only be the cause of their own downfall.

Jaehyun digs through his head of anything that will accompany them through the night. His blood runs ever so swift in his veins, sleep a far-fetched dream. When he speaks again, he makes sure his voice is soft so as not to wake the others.

“Do you miss anything about it? Being human?” It may be taboo, Jaehyun doesn’t know. But he’s curious – how this powerful creature next to him lived his life as a simple boy, before his mortal world was wrecked and pulled into a void.

Taeyong looks up, mindlessly counting the stars cluttered in the sky. “Uh, being human… I already forgot what it felt like – though I’m certain it isn’t much different. I was an outcast, orphans were not the ideal kids to befriend, and now we’re ostracized. It’s the same, except that it’s also not, since I do things I wasn’t capable of.”

Jaehyun makes up a boy in his head wearing a school uniform, or something casual if the university Taeyong went to didn’t require such. He presumes Taeyong would be the quiet type, always in the library. No friends at all. It’s peaceful. There would be no one to please.

“If you were given a chance to go back and escape this – this mess, would you?”

“Tranquility’s tempting,” Taeyong starts. “But I’m perfectly fine now. Wouldn’t have it any other way. Besides, I’m going to have to give up the things I can only have as ghoul.”

“Like what?” Curiosity spikes in Jaehyun.

“Power, my voice, the _Goat?”_

Jaehyun hums. “Anything else?”

In the darkness of the suicide forest, Jaehyun sees the smile ghosting on Taeyong’s lips. “Are you waiting for me to say _‘you’_?”

He’s caught. Is he that easy to read? “Will you say it?”

“I won’t,” It’s straightforward, downright honest. _But it doesn’t mean you’re not included_ , he would say. The disappointment is hard to spot at night, and Taeyong would be damned to say he wouldn’t hate himself for upsetting Jaehyun.

Jaehyun scoffs, playful. “I was messing with you. Come on, try resting your eyes.”

The hailed one-eyed king watches the other slouch, whose eyes are close and chest going up and down calmly. “Hey, S3 boy. I haven’t answered your first question.”

“Oh. Are you going to answer it?”

“Yes.”

“Then what is it that you miss?”

Taeyong exhales loudly. “Falling in love.”

 

 

 

They’re up and about the next day. They need to go back before the sun sets and before they reach an inspection. Jaehyun glances at the two younger boy lagging behind, looking over the map.

A soft, repetitive beep rings in Yuta’s pocket before he takes out a thin, rectangular metal the size of his thumb. “We’re nearing the first inspection. It’s about two kilometers.”

“That means we have to lie low for now. We do not know for sure if there are _doves_ two kilometers from us. For now, let’s search the perimeter for bodies. There _can’t_ be nothing. One or two is more than enough.”

Jeno takes out the tablet and sighs. “There’s no news from Youngho.”

“He might be busy. He’s not exactly a spy,”

“Oh, he is.”

The group turns to the direction where the childlike voice had come from. From a fair distance, they sense someone. Taeyong signals them to keep still and closes up into the unknown, inspecting. It’s two steps forward when the smoke forms into a contorted silhouette of a boy, and another two under the bright light of the sun until they are molded into concrete figures, sharp and hostile. They reek of nothing but malevolence.

“My king, I don’t think they’re _doves,_ ” Yuta whispers, warning. “These are what that intel talked of,”

“Hush.” Taeyong silences him, slowly taking a few more steps towards the children. Behind him, Jaehyun gestures the rest to prepare to charge. Yuta’s words do not register in his mind because _she_ tells him his comrade’s wrong, that _she_ misses Taeyong.

“Come,” Rize smiles, reaching out a hand. “I’ve missed you. Greatly…”

All sense of rationality diminishes as Taeyong follows the melodious tone Rize has always used on him. Her long, purple hair dances in the wind, the dress hugging her thin body. She looks emaciated. She probably is. It’s been too long since she attempted to feed on him.

“Rize,”

The _Goat’_ s voices mix into an incoherent noise in the background. He fails to hear their warning, to hear the shouts of _trap_ and _deceit_. Exhaustion seeps into his bones and her hand is so, _so_ close, and all he wants to do is fall in her arms. Rize was his curse and his salvation.

At least that’s how the apparition is in Taeyong’s mind.

Before he could wake up from his reverie, one of the children unexpectedly cuts through his shoulder, leaving a gaping hole once the _kagune_ ’s limb pulls out of his flesh. Taeyong releases an undignified scream, falling into the ground clutching his injury. Blood drips out of the wound in haste, and just as the gears in his head begin running, trying to calculate his own movement, the _Oggais_ launch forward, sprinting to their direction with _kagunes_ painfully resembling Lee Taeyong’s.

“How fascinating! This is Lee Taeyong, in flesh, and not in 3D!”

One of the haughty children hops into the air and lands against Lucas, the blades of his _kagune_ clashing against the _Goat’_ s. Lucas successfully flings the boy against a tree, listening to the reverberating crack of several bones before the same boy picks himself up and charges back at him.

“Taeyong!” Jaehyun cries out for him as another boy advances to the king’s direction and this time, Taeyong blocks the attack. Jeno and Jaemin transform their briefcases into their _quinques_ and partner up against the last boy, wounding him in several spots. The children are too strong, much too strong for only one of them to handle a single attack. Yuta aims at the boy strangling Lucas with the silver limbs of his _kagune_ and shoots thrice, straight in the head before Lucas impales his own _kagune_ through the boy’s stomach and twists, like a drill and mashes the _Oggai’s_ organs until the ghoul fades into a million dusts.

“Fuck!” The _Tsunagi_ strikes the boy’s arm, cutting it off. Taeyong circles the ghoul and wraps his _kagune_ around the boy’s throat, pulling the head and trying to detach it from the body. Pained wails erupt from the enemy as it tries to pry out of Taeyong’s iron hold, the _kagune_ squeezing his little body, breaking all of his bones. Jaehyun throws a glance at Taeyong and feels a pinch of guilt when he fails to release his own _kagune_ due to lack of RC cells. If he decides to use it, he’s going to die.

A shrill cry cuts through the air and steals Jaehyun’s attention, leaving an open area for the boy to attack him and slicing against his legs. Jaehyun winces in burning pain, dropping the _quinque_ before Yuta aims at the ghoul in Taeyong’s hold and shoots the torso once, twice, thrice. Taeyong manages to finally decapitate the boy and throw the body meters from their spot, crushing the head into chunks all the while Jeno grips his _quinque_ and speeds towards the last _Oggai_ , attempting to cut its head off yet he misses. He misses over and over, shouting at the top of his lungs to let Jaemin go, seeing his partner slowly slipping out of consciousness from the deathly grip of the ghoul.

“Little freak!” Lucas pushes Jeno aside to help, but a second too late as the ghoul vanishes in a blink of an eye, taking Jaemin away with Jeno’s sobs ripping through the vastness of the forest.

“It’s your fault,” Yuta hisses through ragged breathing, glaring at Taeyong. “I told you it was a trap! How many times have you refused to be stand corrected? The trap was right in front of your eyes! How are you the king when you’re so fucking incorrigible?!”

“Stop! Stop fighting! Can we just get Jaemin, please?!” Jeno angrily wipes his tears and transforms the _Taruhi_ into the familiar brown briefcase, storming towards Taeyong.

Taeyong’s eyes are wide and shaky, uncertain. “I- No, it’s not a part of the plan- we must go ba—“

Jeno jabs a fist against the ghoul’s chest and Taeyong staggers a bit, breathless.  “You being a big moron for a king was not a part of the plan,” His eyes water again as he thinks of the possible torment the CCG and the young ghouls would do to Jaemin, considering the punishment awaiting him. “We will leave and save Jaemin. Think of this as a payback when Jaehyun released you from _Cochlea,”_ He then turns toward Jaehyun. “Speak to him, he only listens to you.” Jeno walks away and picks up the _Chi She_ , changing it back to the briefcase.

Yuta sends him one last glare before following Jeno to make sure the boy’s not about to do anything stupid. Lucas seems apologetic, at least. For what, Jaehyun has no plans asking. Right now, his goal is to convince Taeyong to discontinue the expedition. They didn’t see this through – the king’s hallucinations have come into a gradual stop after killing Akihiro Kanou.

“We need to save Jaemin,” His hand touches Taeyong’s shoulder, lingering in the spot where the wound was previously bleeding. A gentle squeeze pulls Taeyong out of trance. “What was that about, Taeyong?”

“Rize,” He breathes out, following Jeno with his eyes. “I saw her.”

“She’s gone.” Jaehyun ignores the pained tone when he speaks. He feels genuinely bitter, the green monster growling inside of him. “She’s dead. Let’s get Jaemin. He’s most probably in one of the jails in CCG. I’ll get hold of Hendery and call for reinforcement. Don’t worry; the humans will have at least two ghouls with them in the ward.”

Jaehyun’s about to ask for the tablet when a hand stops him, fingers circle his wrist. “It wasn’t… it’s not like that. She’s… I don’t—“

“You don’t need to explain,” Gently, Jaehyun removes the hold on him. “She takes up a far more important part in your memory than I will ever do.”

 

 

 

The tablet glows, forcing him out of sleep. Hendery checks the incoming message and stiffens at its content before running out of the room, calling for the other ghouls.

“Jaemin got taken by a ghoul, minion of CCG. They want more ghouls with them.” Scanning the small crowd, he fists the collar of one of them and drags him to the side. Soon, Hendery pulls two more ghouls to gather at the corner. “Okay, listen. They’ve got some job for you.” He scans the message again and scowls. “I’ll stay here in the ward. You can bring one of the remaining guns here. The provision squad is heading to the CCG at the moment, and there will be _Oggais_ there. You know about them, don’t you?” One of the ghouls being oriented nods firmly. Hendery takes it as a sign to continue. “They’re still half-ghouls, remodeled according to Lee Taeyong so expect them to be strong, but I’m pretty sure you can find weaknesses. For one, they’re made from Rize’s long dysfunctional organs. They’re bound to be weaker than Lee Taeyong. The RC cells are most likely drying up, even more when they utilize them.” He pushes his own gun against one of the ghouls, Sicheng. “Proceed. You can’t stall.”

The ghouls take the tunnel leading to the ward closest to CCG. Hendery retrieves the last gun and calls for the others to guard the tunnels and the entrance. They can handle a little bit of disturbance in comparison to what the others are about to face.

 

 

 

Yuta pulls Jeno up with a grunt. The rooftop is surprisingly free of investigators or perhaps it’s another trap. The ghouls with them carried their weight up, climbing almost a hundred stories to escape security. The rooftop is far more convenient, in case chaos breaks out. If anything happens, only the main office and the _doves_ are going to be affected.

“I’ll look for Jaemin. I’m certain he’s in one of the high-end prisons.” Jeno switches on the table. “We can’t contact Youngho,”

“There are two possible reasons, Jeno. One, he’s actually a part of the ghoulification project and he successfully did a stakeout on the _Goat._ Two, he’s caught. If it’s the latter, make sure to take him with you and Jaemin. Make use of his power.” Jaehyun eyes the entrance and activates his _quinque._

“Make use of his power? What do you mean?”

Jaehyun grins and ruffles the younger boy’s hair. “He can contact the JGSDF for help. Spill the dirty secrets of CCG. I’m certain they did not consult any other agencies about the surgery on the orphans. I’m perplexed as to why we didn’t do that before.”

“The JGSDF?” Yuta inquires.

“The CCG is a prideful organization. They love to run their own operations without consulting the others. They knew about the humans residing in the 24th ward, yet they ambushed the underground city, mindless of the innocent lives in there all for caressing their ego. I admit – we only cared about detaining the one-eyed king, no matter what. Like what Youngho told me, the CCG lost its roots long ago. Apparently, at the moment, it’s being run by none other than a proponent of Kanou. All of Moon Taeil’s puppets are devotees of the Aogiri, I can corroborate that. It’s impossible that Doyoung did not know about it. The opportunity presented itself in the form of the orphans seeking for vengeance against the ghouls. I should’ve killed him back then,”

Taeyong stares at him, smug. “Where did you get that information, S3 boy?”

Jaehyun rolls his eyes and allows Jeno and Yuta to go, not without reminding them to be cautious. “All thanks to you, my king.”

“ _Yours_?”

Lucas grumbles and flails in exasperation, walking in circles. “So this is what Jaemin told me about! Can you not flirt right in front of my eyes?”

Jaehyun instantly reddens, his cheeks burning under the merciless heat of the sun and perhaps, letting Yuta go with Jeno instead of Lucas was a mistake. Lucas turned out to be another Na Jaemin, but worse. At least, Jaemin didn’t tease him while Taeyong’s around. What was dignity again?

The compelling smirk on Taeyong’s ridiculously handsome face worsens the blush on the apples of his cheeks. “Alright, we’ll save it for later.” The  _gall_ of this ghoul!

Jaehyun swears this is the only time he’s wishing for either of the _Oggais_ or the CCG to come and ambush them. Anything’s better than suffering around the one-eyed king when it’s clear that the other’s still hung up on the woman who ironically brought him back to life.

Fuck Rize. He’s willing to fight for Taeyong, but how can he fight someone who isn’t even there? Ghouls shouldn’t be allowed to develop romantic feelings.

A loud crash startles the three of them and they simultaneously look at the direction of the noise.

Jaehyun activates the _Tsunagi,_ stance in a battle position.

“Former S3 squad leader, first class investigator Jung Jaehyun. We meet again.” Doyoung grins as an _Oggai_ stands next to him. “Guess it’ll be all or nothing today, huh?”

 

 

 

Jeno peeks at the long hallway, checking if the coast’s clear before gesturing for Yuta to follow him as he hurries as silent as he can to one of the main prisons. Pressing his palm against the scanner, he honestly doesn’t expect the gates to open but when they did, Jeno scoffs. “Careless, aren’t we. Come on,” Yuta follows him inside and several guards immediately block their path, surprising the both of them. Jeno switches one of the _quinques_ on and Yuta raises the gun, ready to pull the trigger.

“Traitor Lee Jeno, you brought someone with you,” One of the guards said, eyeing Yuta. “A nobody.”

Jeno has his eyes on the guard’s name patch before quickly scanning the room. He catches on a sound from one of the cells, something akin to chain hitting the metal door. “You’re one to talk. For the years I was a _dove,_ never have I ever encountered you – not even once. Qian Kun, is it?”

“I’m surprised you can read,” The guard, Kun, smiles and pulls out a gun, absolutely different from the one Yuta has. It’s a weak type. “But enough of your drivel, traitor. You might want to join your friends over there.” Kun cocks his head to the cells.

_Friends. So Jaemin and Youngho are inside._

Jeno shortly glances at Yuta and the latter runs behind a wall before he could get shot. He’s fortunate that the walls of the CCG prison are bulletproof, or else he’s done for. While Jeno takes the front liner guards, Yuta takes his chances to aim for the ones targeting him. He’s uncertain of the extent of the gun’s capability since it’s designed to kill ghouls, but a bullet is a bullet. When he successfully shoots two guards directly on the chest and not one of them get up to retaliate, Yuta comes out of his hiding spot and runs to Jeno’s side.

The _quinque_ swings across the last guard and draws out blood from the long, deep gush Jeno inflicted. It’s a trusted _quinque,_ the _Taruhi_ ’s been with him for as long as he can remember, upgrading its value as it slashes the guard’s neck, and Jeno watches Kun’s head roll away like weightless dice. A child’s play.  He gives a strong kick against the fallen guard’s side and huffs. Security down.

“Are they here?” Yuta looks around.

“Pretty sure of it. Check all cells.” Yuta nods and starts walking ahead, only for Jeno to halt him. Jeno swipes a finger over the wound on Yuta’s shoulder. “You were shot.”

Yuta glances at the wound and his body only registers the slight pain. Shrugging, he pats Jeno’s back before checking the cells. It’s just a scratch – a far cry from what he used to suffer from under the hands of an abusive commander back in the military.

Jeno searches the other side of the huge room. He takes time to peek through the small slits on the metal doors in hopes of finding Jaemin or Youngho. He vaguely hears Yuta call for him when something hits the door at the last cell. Not wasting a second, he runs to it and peeks inside, spotting his partner. Jeno fights the urge to cry, swallows the sob bubbling in his throat as he slashes the door’s lock. Jaemin pounces on him, wrists bound by a thick steel cuff.

“Jeno! Jeno, are you okay—“

“Idiot!” Jeno pushes the other off of him and quickly unbinds Jaemin. “You were taken by a ghoul! About to be executed! Yet you worry about m—“

Jaemin cuts him off; warm pair of lips pressing against Jeno’s ever so lightly that the latter would have thought it was just a breeze of wind. It was feather light, like a fleeting dream. The daze ends too soon and he masks the embarrassment with a scowl, dragging Jaemin to stand. Yuta meets the both of them with Youngho in tow, already freed from binds.

“Youngho hyung, I’m sorry they caught you—but please, if you have the means, we need to contact the JGSDF. Doyoung is going to turn all of the children into ghouls. How many have been turned?”

“I’m not sure, but they stored quite a number of children. A hundred in estimate. I’m certain that only four have been turned successfully. The process takes some time.” Youngho grabs Jeno’s tablet and types, waiting for the call to pass through. “They orient the children about Lee Taeyong, fuelling the hatred and directing it to the original prototype – even if their parents’ murderers were not in any way related to Lee Taeyong. They’re ghouls – but they’re the terrorists.”

“Four? We only met three back in the ex—“

Youngho raises a hand to stop Jeno from talking while he delivers the request to the other line. A minute feels like an hour before the call ends and Youngho returns the tablet. “They’re not in favor of giving a hand to Lee Taeyong, but they agree on terminating CCG’s operations. What were you saying?”

“We only met three. Where is the other one?”

Just then, the whole floor trembles as though a strong explosive hits one of the pillars of the building. Youngho stares at the high ceilings, wary.

“One…out of the hundred they picked from the streets, Lee Taeyong slain his mother in the midst of the war during the Owl suppression. He was completely out of control. Civilians suffered fatal injuries. That one got Rize’s heart. Mark… Mark wants him dead.”

 

 

 

Lucas glances over the railing, zooming into the influx of soldiers surrounding the entire building. “The whole building’s beleaguered. I shall give them a hand taking out the kids, yeah?” He looks at the _Oggai_ next to Doyoung, grinning. “You said they’re incubated like babies? Damn cute. But see ya later; I got a job to do.”

Mark takes a step forward, about to go after Lucas but is blocked with an arm. Doyoung signals him to calm down, but his eyes are already changing colors. Taeyong watches as Mark controls both of his sclera, switching between one-eye and both. It appears that the kid is still grasping at straws trying to control his own abilities. Then it will surely be easy to take him down.

Doyoung activates his _Amatsu,_ taking deliberate strides toward Jaehyun. “Jaehyun, how do I put a stop to your existence? You’re not Lee Taeyong, but you’re so hard to _obliterate.”_ The organization’s new bureau chief glances at the one-eyed king, chuckling. “Don’t be flattered, you’ll be gone soon.” Doyoung sends a look to the _Oggai_ and leaves him to take care of his own business.

From the side, Mark charges at Taeyong, _kagune_ springing out of his spine and shaped like twister at the end hits the sky before striking down Taeyong, whose _kagune_ blocks the attack, sending him sliding across the concrete with a burn against his knees.

“Hey, hey. Don’t watch them. Look at me. I’m getting jealous.”

Jaehyun takes his eyes away from the two battling ghouls and grips the railing as his back hits it before looking down. If he falls, it will be hard to put him back together for a funeral. His limbs and insides will be all over the place.

He takes one last glance at Taeyong who seems to be doing good on his own before releasing his _kagune_ for the first time since the fight with Taeil. He can feel the force taking its toll on his body – the remaining RC cells being used just to unleash the branches of blade. Jaehyun raises his _quinque_ and screams, surging towards Doyoung. The first swing gets blocked – Doyoung’s a well-trained investigator, for the record. He manages to block several attacks from the _Tsunagi_ and _kagune_ with its double usage, taking advantage of its dagger and whip.

Jaehyun is still unfamiliar with the control of his own _kagune_ and receives the slash of the whip, cutting through his skin. The wound closes up after several seconds, too long for a ghoul’s regeneration. Doyoung laughs.

“Remember when you punched me on the head back at Kanou’s lab? That was smart. I admit I was distracted – who wouldn’t be? My comrade was a ghoul! Oh no – I knew it. I was just not expecting you to have some balls to actually fight alongside the greatest creation.” Doyoung charges and Jaehyun sees an open spot, escaping the attack and swinging the _quinque_ across Doyoung’s legs, crippling the _dove._ A sick feeling of satisfaction settles in his guts when Doyoung rolls on the ground, clutching his amputated legs.

Yet it does not stop the bureau chief from doubling over in a fit of sinister laughter, reaching for the neglected _Amatsu._  

Jaehyun towers over him, a foot pressed against Doyoung’s chest. The latter stares up at him, his eyes suddenly losing the spark it had earlier. They were never close, not ever acquaintances when Jaehyun was still an investigator. Doyoung was too competitive for his own good, always trying to outdo the S3, trying to prove his worth to Taeil and the other higher-ups. For someone who looked down on Jaehyun’s leadership and S3’s achievements, the S2 was always a step behind them. Only the disbandment of S3 and Taeil’s death gave him the opportunity to climb the ladder that did not last for long. He’s about to reach his end.

“Ha. You’re always the better one, Jaehyun. How come? I worked harder than all of you combined.” Sirens wailed in the air, more government agency reinforcements arrive to take down the rest of the CCG. Doyoung coughs as Jaehyun digs the heel of his shoe against the human’s chest, as though trying to pulverize him.

“Maybe because I had no ill intentions to claim the world as mine,” From his peripheral vision, Mark successfully dismembers a limb of Taeyong’s _kagune_ before flinging the one-eyed king against the crane, the impact creating a sickening sound of metal clashing against a body. He then realizes there’s no other way to give Taeyong the victory he deserves than to make a sacrifice. He did not promise the other anything anyway. His short life as a ghoul holds no worth.

Jaehyun looks down at Doyoung, taking in his face for the last time and uses his _kagune_ to pierce through the human’s torso, lifting him up into the air before smashing the body down with fatal force, creating a crate on the rooftop ground, and hauls the man’s lower region upwards before stomping onto the head, Doyoung’s cries drowned out by the sound of his skull breaking like ice beneath rugged boots.

He does not get the time to appreciate his own doing when he stumbles and flops over Doyoung’s body as two twisting blades perforate his chest. Behind him, Mark snickers before mercilessly withdrawing his _kagune,_ and Jaehyun’s blood splotches all over.

He hasn’t been adapting well to his body’s changes ever since the final transformation into being a ghoul, that the human vessel he had been used to fights against the natural process of regeneration, added with the lack of RC cells to fasten it. When Taeyong leans in, face bludgeoned and body dislocated in weird angles, he doesn’t pay heed, thinking it was the one-eyed king checking the severity of his wounds but when the touch of slick tongue runs over the gaping hole on his chest, desperately trying to close up the wound, Jaehyun counters the rapid drumming of his heart with expected rationality. Taeyong is helping him as a leader, nothing more, nothing less.

“Eat,” Taeyong holds out slab of meat, torn from his own ligament.

Jaehyun stubbornly denies with a grunt, thinking of how strangely familiar it was.

Taeyong sneers, gripping the flesh. “How,” He struggles through labored breathing, ribcage severely damaged from hitting the crane. “How could you ask me what—what I missed about being human and let me open the damned dam of emotions long gone and leave me like this? Fucking eat!”

“Tae—“

“No, I don’t break promises. I won’t let you die,” More debris fall like stars in Jaehyun’s eyes as a part of the CCG’s building starts crumbling from the explosives, in the brink of life and death, but the option he had given up is choosing him instead as Taeyong bites off a chunk of his own muscle, chomping on it until it’s mashed into nothing but a glob of soft and red, and then Jaehyun’s mind goes haywire when a pair of lips press against his, forcefully parting his before the masticated flesh slides into his mouth. It bursts like firework for the next eternity, pooling into his system like rushing heroin, alive and strong and optimal while it pumps his blood and reattaches his muscles.

The twister blades wrap around Taeyong, pulling him back into the embrace of an enemy – iron grip of hell and Jaehyun almost thought he’d let him slip away until Taeyong manages to talk, rejuvenating his strength with four mere words.

“Stay with me, Jaehyun.”

“Would you keep that mouth shut?”

Mark cuts the scene with propelling wrath, slamming Taeyong’s weight down the ground with robust strength resembling that of a rumbling earthquake. The ground splits in half, opening the concrete rooftop, giving a peek of the preceding floor of the building. He might be an artificial ghoul, created to resemble Kanou’s greatest creation, the ghoulkind’s king and salvation but he roars like a lion, king of the wild as he slams Taeyong’s weight down, and tears off a limb. He does not care if Taeyong’s regenerating so fast – he will tear him again and again until the one-eyed king runs out of RC cells and he’s tired, hopeless that he will bring justice to his mother’s death.

Mark yanks the other’s head side to side, trying to keep him awake and center his attention on him. “Did you not feel small? Back in Aogiri Tree, based on the information that they fueled me, when you were chained from top to bottom, toes plucked, centipedes crawled in your ears, but everytime you were shredded, you just grew out the same appendages, and then the torment starts all over again,” Taeyong’s eyes stare up at him, dull. “What’s 1000 minus seven, Taeyong? You were glorified for something you were not meant to be. I want the power you were handed over, sacrificed myself for the hell of it to make it into such phenomenon, all glitz and glamor but here we are, still – climbing the walls too tall for us to reach. But it was handed to you so easily!”

Tears cloud Mark’s vision, recalling the night his mother breathed her last in front of him, under the storming sky in the middle of a war while people ran past them, ignoring his pleas for help. “Why are my dreams handed to people who didn’t want it? Oh – do not look at me like that! Are you dying on me? One Eyed King, the _Goat,_ the throne you made your own pedestal – all of these are not yours and you are still weak. You will keep shredding your fingers on the ground until you’re just a mole burrowing sand looking for a place to hide. That’s the 24th ward, right? Pests cannot roam around freely. Lee Taeyong, you’re just another experiment, a toy assembled out of boredom. You can’t be the paragon of justice you want to be. It’s me, and I will bring it to this world once you’re gone.”

Mark’s voice turns indistinct, fading as Taeyong’s eyes see another figure in front of him. He’s in a different realm, back in the torture chamber where he was played into hanging in the loose thread of sanity. His toes are shaped weirdly, clothes torn while his ears tickle as centipedes crawl their way in, finding home in his head.

Rize sits on a stool opposite him, gorgeous and not even one bit hideous. “We meet again, Taeyong. I was not expecting this to be so soon, back in this pathetic situation,” She lets out a shy giggle, the one that got him enamored back then. Right now, it doesn’t make his chest constrict anymore. He feels nothing. “You heard what he said, right? You’re nothing but a frail boy hiding behind the mask of your own terrors. The monster that lives inside of you serves as your own armor, manifesting as the monstrosity that you are protecting from the harsh face of reality. Taeyong, you know for yourself – you’re proud of being a king, you love it, because it’s the persona you were not born with. Fragile little boy, all you ever wanted was to feel loved, needed, to belong somewhere. You’re hanging on to something to protect your pacifist ego. But in the end, all of this,” She closes in, lips brushing against the shell of his ear. “…is just in your head. When you wake up, you’ll be Lee Taeyong, mortal and alone, in love with the monster you turned into.”

Rize disappears into thin air, her image morphing back into the _Oggai’s._ “What 1000 minus seven, Taeyong? Do you want a repeat of where it all started?”

His pupils dilate, sketching the picture into his memory. Besides, Taeyong knows they’re nearing the kid’s last minute. He feels bad – remorseful, he never meant to steal the boy’s mother away from him. But things are already written in the stars, and Mark’s destined to meet his demise in the hands of Lee Taeyong.

“You’re trying to be the new king? What will you do – consume me? I doubt you can consume all of me. There will be no other king after me,” Taeyong wraps a hand around Mark’s neck, cutting the other’s air supply. His _kagune_ pushes him off the ground and holds the blades springing out of Mark’s spine, preventing him from commencing another attack.

“You’re running your mouth with things you did not witness. How could you talk down on me – are you Kanou? Eto? Rize? You’re an insect – the CCG’s puppet. You cannot run that tongue over me. So what’s 1000 minus seven, kid?” The skin on his face starts turning blue from the lack of oxygen, hands clawing at Taeyong’s. Yet before he could pry out of the deathly grip, the one-eyed king disappears out of his sight in a blink of an eye.

“Bastard…!”

The corner of Taeyong’s lips curls into a smile as he stands behind Mark, the familiar sound of a knuckle cracking accentuating what blurts out of his mouth. “Wrong.”

Taeyong’s _kagune,_ incited with fury stretches out into the air like vines in full throttle, blades striking down to rip past the _Oggai_ ’s pectoralis, pushing the organ out of the body as Mark watches what used to be Rize’s heart drop on the ground with a pathetic squelch.

“It’s nine hundred ninety three.”

The _kagune_ withdraws from being impaled on the boy’s torso and falls into Jaehyun’s arms. Jaehyun makes the mistake of looking into the boy’s eyes and sees nothing but longing and agony, replaying the image of a boy holding his mother’s ice cold corpse while crying, begging for some help. As his _kagune_ wrap themselves around Mark’s head, Taeyong takes the initiative to cover Jaehyun’s eyes with his hand, preventing the other from witnessing the boy’s horrid death. Mark’s guillotined head then turns into a million flecks of dust like the rest of him.

When Taeyong uncovers Jaehyun’s eyes, his palm is damp with salty tears. He has survived a number of pandemonium without a shoulder to lean on and so bewilderment envelopes him like thick blanket, uncertain of the correct manner of comforting another.

“I’m fine,” Jaehyun answers his thoughts, leaving him slightly astonished. It seems like the other ghoul has acquired a new ability to read one’s mind – or he must have changed throughout the fight with the _Oggai_ and his little reunion with Rize, opening his old chapters. Jaehyun looks over the influx of soldiers below and wipes his tears away before facing Taeyong. “Let’s go find the others. Also, we got some explaining to do to the JGSDF.”

 

 

 

Jeno and Jaemin run over to them once they’ve reached the ground floor, hands entwined. Sensing Jaehyun’s prying gaze, Jeno quickly untangles his fingers from Jaemin’s making the other pout like a kid dropping his favorite candy. “Jaehyun! Sicheng, Lucas and the others gathered all of the children – some of them were already incubated, on their final transformation but the others who were kept in a cage are perfectly fine. They were immediately taken to the hospital.”

“You’re bloodied, both of you,” Jaemin points out, giving them a once over. “You guys look wrecked – clean up a bit before the JGSDF interrogates you. Youngho already explained most of the CCG’s plans to them, but we need Taeyong to report to them about the cohabitation.”

Taeyong glances over the soldiers hauling the _doves_ in military vehicles. A crowd had started to gather to gossip and witness the commotion, a few of them filming while the media cover the incident. “Are they going to listen to me?”

“They will,” Youngho comes over, stripping the CCG’s lab coat off of him. “Especially now that I’ve revealed to the media the invention of artificial food designed to regulate the ghoul’s taste buds. My team has enough to back up our claims. Hopefully, the government would listen and see the brighter side of this.”

It feels like the weight of both worlds dissipated from Taeyong’s shoulder. He can’t wait to feel _normal_ once again, to mingle with humans without threat tailing him and the ghoulkind. It’s going to be fine, everything will be fine. Those ghouls that will resist the _Goat_ ’s agenda will be suppressed, taken into custody until they learn the benefits of coexisting without feeding on humans.

Everything will be alright; he’ll get back to reading his father’s books – if they’re still at home. Maybe, he’ll even pick up where’s left off in the university. There’s so much possibility now, and he can’t wait to see them all.

 

 ***

 

“What are you reading?” Jaehyun flops next to him on the sofa, turning the TV on to watch the news. The report is about a military camp for ghouls who want to join the army and serve the nation.

One of the guestroom doors open and Yuta comes out yawning, probably to rummage the fridge. He had gotten close with Hendery, pulling all-nighters to play videogames. Sicheng sometimes join them if he’s up for it. Jeno and Jaemin are in their own world now that they’ve accepted each other’s confessions. Lucas basically lives in the first floor where all the training equipment is, most likely buffing up. Youngho works hard in the new organization to mass-produce the artificial food – it was instantly approved.

“ _The Black Goat’s Egg,”_ Taeyong responds, not taking his attention away from the book.

“Isn’t that Takatsuki Sen’s?” Jaehyun asks, tilting his head to look at the cover.

Taeyong gives a low hum. Jaehyun takes the chance to watch the other’s face – Taeyong’s eyes widen occasionally, lips pressed firmly. He sighs and snatches the book from the other’s grasp, earning himself a whine.

“Give it back,”

“But you’ve already read that! You’re only reminding yourself of Eto,” A frown etches itself on Jaehyun’s face as Taeyong huffs, crossing his arms over his chest. He looks quite _adorable,_ dressed in a pair of pajamas and his hair color now back to jet black. The university he has applied for does not allow outlandish hair colors so he had to dye his white hair.

Taeyong looks so gentle, so _soft_ , as though he was not the king of the ghouls. He looks younger now that he has lost all of the muscles he had gotten from various fights – something that Jaehyun misses but he won’t admit. At least now, he can easily dominate Taeyong without so much resistance from the other, plus he looks tiny in comparison to Jaehyun’s built.

“I’ll give it back to you in one condition,” Jaehyun hums thoughtfully, clutching the book. “I want you to say my name.”

“What kind of bull—“

“Say it, or you won’t get the book back.” Jaehyun dangles the book teasingly, enjoying the way Taeyong seems to weigh his options, fidgeting.

“Give it back to me, Jaehyun,” He can never get used to it, to the sound of his own name curling in Taeyong’s tongue. If the other switches back to calling him S3 boy, Jaehyun wouldn’t even bat an eye. Each time Taeyong says his name, he just crumbles inside, and it’s crazy how he has fallen in love with someone like Lee Taeyong.

Taeyong reaches for the book but Jaehyun mischievously hides it behind him. “Okay, another condition.”

“You said it was only one!”

“I want another one. You’re not exactly the one with the upper hand here, so you have to follow me,” Jaehyun grins. “Give me a kiss.”

“What!”

“I did not stutter. Give me a kiss.” He expects the other to give in but Taeyong surprises him by using his _kagune_ to his advantage and takes the book back. It’s Jaehyun’s turn to whine for not seeing it – Taeyong, even after the change is still as clever as one can be. The king won’t ever submit to anybody.

“I’m still your king, mind you.” Taeyong smirks and clutches the book under his arm before closing their gap and pressing his lips over Jaehyun’s, stealing a quick kiss. “Good night, S3 boy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jaehyun watches Taeyong disappear in one of the guestrooms in _The Chateau_ and releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The feeling of the other’s lips was like a ghost, fleeting and quick as though it did not transpire.

A smile threatens to split his face in half as he recalls the question he pondered over before – if Taeyong could see himself in Jaehyun’s eyes. He doesn’t have to think of it anymore, for even if Taeyong never answers him, the other’s eyes are now the windows of his once impenetrable mind which only thinks of Jaehyun, and only Jaehyun.  

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
